ROCKFISH VALLEY FOUNDATION P O BOX 235 NELLYSFORD, VIRGINIA 22958

Transcription

1 ROCKFISH VALLEY FOUNDATION P O BOX 235 NELLYSFORD, VIRGINIA June 2, 2016 Kimberly D. Bose Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street NE, Room 1A Washington, DC ACP Docket # CP Dear Ms. Bose: I am writing as president of the Rockfish Valley Foundation and co-landowner of the Wintergreen Country Store Land Trust, where the Natural History Center is located at 1368 Rockfish Valley Highway. I am also writing as the land owner of Elk Hill located at 511 Rockfish Valley Highway. All of the above are located in the South Rockfish Valley in Nelson County, VA and all of the above have ACP routes proposed to cross them. The Rockfish Valley Foundation ( founded in 2005, is a 501c3 organization whose mission is the following: Our Foundation works hard to preserve the natural, historical, ecological and agricultural resources of the Rockfish Valley. We accomplish this through enriching the lives of our community by supporting the Rockfish Valley Loop Trail system, Spruce Creek Park and the lands associated with them. The mission further supports conservation, recreation, preservation and environmental education and promotes a rural tourism experience in the Rockfish Valley of Nelson County, Virginia. Our Foundation manages over 8 miles of hiking and birding trails, operates the Natural History Center in association with the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and owns Spruce Creek Park with a Children s Nature Trail, Wildflower Meadow, Native Plant Trail, Butterfly Garden and a Butterfly Trail. The Natural History Center is located in the Old Wintergreen Country Store. This is leased to RVF which manages all of these resources. The Wintergreen Country Store Land Trust also owns the property across Glenthorne Loop where the archeological site of the historic 19 the c. Wintergreen Village is located. At one time, this site had two large Coleman mills, mill traces and other historic buildings. The building is registered with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and is listed on the National Landmark of Historic Places. A proposal from Rivanna Archeology in Charlottesville, VA for the architectural site was made in 2014 but not done because of a lack of funds. RVF has many printed resources including brochures for the trails, the Nelson Scenic Loop, the Geology trail and a Backyard Discovery Activity guide. It conducts field trips, programs and is a valued community resource.

2 My main residence is Elk Hill, c The Elk Hill farm, which includes a late 17 th c. smoke house, tobacco barn with its original wooden tobacco press, double crib barn, and other out buildings, is registered with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and is also listed on the National Landmark of Historic Places. In 2005 we placed conservation easements on the farm with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The Rockfish River runs through the farm. During the disastrous Hurricane Camille storm in 1969 the river became a raging 10 foot wall of water and debris destroying a house near the bridge on Route 151 with its two occupants in it. A state historic marker designates where the house was. We recognize this hallowed space every year on its anniversary by placing a wreath on the state marker. It is with this love of the natural resources and historic preservation, my wife and I have worked hard to preserve the beauty of this special place in Nelson County ever since 1977 when we bought the farm. As for the ACP, we have attended regularly the meetings made available to us with Dominion and with FERC and we also have had both Dominion and FERC visit the Rockfish Valley Foundation site to see the destruction the proposed route will create there. Both Rockfish Valley Foundation and I are interveners and have been in communication with both Dominion and FERC on a regular basis. In turn, we feel that there are so many questions that have not been answered by Dominion in regards to the FERC letters and the USFS letters. If they gave answers, most were lacking any substance and just made conclusions. The ACP creates so many hardships for those living along its route and also those living in Nelson County, and Dominion should have treated each question with more respect. We feel FERC should demand more of Dominion. Without that, the process is not fair. In making this filing to FERC, there are many issues I would like to address. They are the following: 1. Issues that Dominion needs to address and FERC should require them to address in more detail. Collocation: FERC should require Dominion to analyze the collocation with the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Also the use of the Rockfish Gap/Afton route proposed by Friends of Wintergreen. On the Rockfish Gap route, there are transmission lines that others say the pipeline can collocate along. Additionally, FERC should require Dominion to respond better to paragraph 156 of the FERC December 4, 2015 letter. For example, Dominion proposed the Spruce Creek variation which we feel was not put forth in good faith since they knew it was in conservation easements. Did they really look for other alternative feasible routes? Furthermore, any alternative route should be identified, located, and compared. Why not have a comparison of environmental issues, cost issues, and like matters between the different pipeline proposals. This is a very serious question that should be mandatory in your review of the Dominion routes. Capacity: Is there a need for any pipeline capacity? Is there a need for both the ACP and the MVP line or for the other two that we often hear about that are

3 currently being considered but whose applications have yet been filed with FERC. It is important for FERC to require a programmatic EIS to truly see if one or more pipelines are necessary. Is the heartbreak and hardship created by this number of routes balanced by the need for competition of so many different companies. Federal Trade Commission issue What if there is a Federal Trade Commission question in which antitrust issues are raised that challenge the source and use of the Dominion proposal. If it is determined that the pipeline and the end users relationship is such that it breaks federal law, what happens then? How will the FERC process go forward until that is determined? Is that being considered by FERC? 2. Problems with the ACP as it relates to the Rockfish Valley Foundation (RVF): The current ACP route runs directly through one of the only archeological sites in the Rockfish Valley. It is the site of 19 c. Wintergreen Village which included two large Coleman mills c.1795 and 1814 (parts of which are still standing), mill traces (parts of which are visible), the old Wintergreen Country store and other buildings including ones built by African American slaves. As noted, Rivanna Archeology gave a proposal in early 2014 for research there but RVF lacked the funding to do it at that time. Since then, more has been discovered and there is soon to be published a book written by Elizabeth Richardson who has done so much of the historical research. What lies next is the physical research on this property. Both FERC and Dominion visited this property about a year ago. Brian Thomas, who is the Natural Resources Group archaeologist associated with Dominion, has also been on the site. I think he said that he knew Rivanna Archeology and would feel satisfied with their involvement. In April 2016 Preservation Virginia recognized this site as an endangered historical and cultural site. In 2016, it was also recognized by the state of Virginia as a Virginia Treasure in a programmed endorsed by Governor McAuliffe. Survey. We have proposed that we take the Rivanna Archeology proposal and amend it to incorporate the Coleman Mills site with the registry of Virginia Department of Historic Resources as a contributing use of the old Wintergreen Country Store and let Dominion together with RVF pursue the Phase I Archaeology thru Rivanna Archaeology. It would be at the expense of Dominion with all knowledge shared. That would determine the location of the Spruce Creek bridge, the outline of the mill traces and their sensitivity, etc. Only then would surveyors be allowed to survey. They would be accompanied by RVF and or Rivanna representatives. Any land survey by Dominion without that being done first would damage the sensitivity and significance of the walls of the mills, the mill traces, and the historic Old Wintergreen Village. I have been in contact with Carla Picard at Dominion about this and believe she understands the proposal. She has not replied. Also it has been mentioned to Greg Park at Dominion. If he visits the site as he has promised, I feel confident that all would understand the need to

4 properly research this site with the Phase I Archeology proposal before survey and then FERC would understand the need for the ACP to direct Dominion to avoid it. If you wait until final site selection, there is no opportunity for this. South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District. On June 16,2016, the South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District will be voted on and approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources at its Montpelier meeting. That vote gives special recognition to this area and recognizes the fact that this historic agricultural region has not changed since it was first settled in the late 1700s. This includes the buildings, the view sheds, and the farming of the land which was once tobacco, then apples, and today apples and grapes. These buildings include the old Wintergreen Country store (once a dry goods store, a post office, and a community hub), 6 historic houses including Three Chimneys, Glenthorne, Elk Hill, River Bluff, High View (now Mill Hill) and Wintergreen, four of which are registered on national registries. It also includes 106 non registered but historic buildings, 2 conservation easements (Glenthorne and Elk Hill) and 1 historic African American church (Elk Hill Baptist Church). The proposed pipeline will cross several sections of this rural historic district including through the archeological site at the old Wintergreen Village, the view shed from the new Bold Rock Cider building, and next to the Elk Hill Baptist Church. This fact should require FERC to do a Section 106 process. It is most important for FERC to recognize the damage that the pipeline will do to this area that has been recognized for its historical and cultural importance. Section 106. Protection and avoidance of historic resources is not being properly addressed by FERC. The Section 106 process is set out under Title 36 CFR 800. The roles of the Advisory Council for Historic Resources, Preservation Virginia, the Nelson County Historical Society, the Rockfish Valley Foundation and landowners such as Peter Agelasto III and the Wintergreen Country Store Land Trust are not being properly addressed as are the roles of other consultants and interested parties being addressed. Why has FERC determined they should not be involved as consulting parties and otherwise? They should and request is made for them to be so designated. Is this a matter that should be addressed and how? RVF may not need to be a consulting party if FERC or the Nelson County Circuit Court directs Dominion to undertake Phase 1 Archeology as proposed by RVF before survey. It is important for this to be addressed by FERC. Why has the Virginia Department of Historic Resources not reported all the cultural and historic layers to FERC and ACP that exist at the preferred crossing? Nelson Scenic Loop. RVF created a 50 mile scenic loop drive called the Nelson Scenic Loop ( It begins at the RVF Natural History Center and runs along four scenic by-ways including Route 151, Route 664, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 56. The Three Ridge Mountain watershed is located within the Loop and drains within the Loop to the Tye River, Reid s Creek and South fork of the Rockfish River. A study of material

5 on the website will identify environmental, cultural and historic issues that would be damaged by the proposed route of the pipeline. Damage would also be done by any pipeline construction and maintenance. Rockfish Valley Trail System. Currently, there are over 8 miles of trails running through both Spruce Creek Park and the Elk Hill farm. The lands are leased to RVF and managed by RVF. The trails were laid out in 2005 and include a Birding Trail recognized by the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, a Geology Trail created with help from a professor and students at James Madison University, a Kids in Park Trail created in association with Blue Ridge Parkway, and a Butterfly Trail recognized as a Virginia Treasure in a program administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation created by Governor McAuliffe. These trails are enjoyed by more than 10,000 people a year and also are important animal habitat crossings. There are over 200 bluebird boxes along the trails and they are monitored during the fledging season with the VA Blue Bird Society. During the fledging season, no construction should be allowed. The trails include a warm season grass area to attract birds especially during the migration season. The Spruce Creek variation route also goes through a vernal pool which has been the subject of a written study. These trails are threatened by both the proposed ACP and the Spruce Creek variation route. Birding, wildlife, and butterfly habitat will be impacted by the reduction of food and shelter and diminish the wildlife there which before was protected and also diminish the enjoyment of the trail visitors because of the reduction of animal life they see. Future expansion of the trail system: Future expansion of the trail system is now underway with trails in neighboring properties such as the Devils Backbone Brewery, the Winter Family property, Horizons Village, and others. Currently many of the RVF trails are on land in conservation easements with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and are using best management practice easements with federal programs. Many of the neighboring properties considering adding to the trail system are also considering putting conservation easements on their land too. These trails and the applications for easements are likely to go forward before the vote of FERC on the ACP routes, but should be considered by FERC and Dominion. 3. Problems in work space areas in Spruce Creek Park during construction: FERC should require Dominion to provide maps with these work space areas. RVF met with Greg Park in Bath County and he tried to access these on his computer with no success. He committed to sending them to us but nothing received so far. The same thing occurred at the Bath County meeting when an attempt was made to see them on ipads of FERC consultants. The community is entitled to know this information and study these work spaces. FERC should ask Dominion to provide work area maps, road access maps and keep them timely. Additional time should be extended for this information to be uploaded and reviewed. Time needs to be provided to study and react to these. Wetlands,

6 waterways, mitigation banks, bridges and the like are in the path. No drilling will protect. All Greg Park has to do is look at Spruce Creek running under the bridge and know that a work area will not work without destroying the creek, its flood plane and the mill trances that envelope it. It makes one wonder why he says he will visit and then is not able to follow thru. He already made a mistake locating a route thru a conservation easement and now risks doing the same for a bridge he does not want to impact. This can not wait until the vote that selects a route. Rockfish Valley Foundation has the following questions about work spaces: Where specifically will those work spaces be located and what size will they be? Where are the maps that show these access roads and how will the compaction be dealt with? What activities will be carried on in those work spaces? Will the work spaces house dump trucks, logging trucks, winches and other construction machinery? Will cut trees, tree stumps, brush, rock and other debris from the 7 deep trench be hauled through Spruce Creek Park and the area? Where will it be disposed of? Will pipe and other construction materials be stored at Spruce Creek Park? Will the debris, construction materials and explosives (see below) be hauled up and down Glenthorne Loop which has approximately 100 residences on it? How will the noise and other disruption from these construction activities be mitigated? How will the operation of the lumber yard adjacent to Spruce Creek Park be impacted? It appears that the Spruce Creek Park is the principal area for work space along Rt. 151 and along Glenthorne Loop. The park will be destroyed. What is its value to Nelson County and to the residents of the South Rockfish Valley community? What is not destroyed by construction will be rendered useless. It is a great concern that the workspace and construction of the pipeline will make Spruce Creek Park, the amenities of the Rockfish Valley Foundation, and the knowledge rendered from the old Wintergreen Village archaeological site useless. The blast zones in this area create great risk to the operations of the Rockfish Valley Foundation. What are the safety plans? Insurance will be prohibitive. 4. Problems with ACP as relates to Elk Hill Farm: A letter has already been uploaded from me concerning the problems with the

7 Spruce Creek variation route that runs through the Elk Hill Farm. Please refer to that to see a more detail description of the problems of the pipeline crossing the Elk Hill farm. Various concerns mentioned in that letter are the following: Conservation Easements with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation were put on the Elk Hill farm in In doing this we placed legal protection on this land to prevent not only our heirs but any future owners from dividing the land. At the same time, we understood that by law, the easements could not be broken by another party. We feel strongly that there is a legal obligation by Dominion and FERC to avoid the conservation easements on this land in order to preserve the cultural and historical view shed of the Elk Hill property. The entire easements of 139 acres are the same 139 acres deeded from Alexander Reid to his son Samuel Reid in We continue to farm the land today and it looks much like it did in the late 1790s and early 1800s, thus preserving the historical and cultural use of the land. In 2007 we registered the Elk Hill farm and all of its out buildings with the Department of Historic Resources and it is now designated a Virginia Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house dates to c. 1800, the smoke house and tobacco barn to c. 1790s, the barn and other out buildings to early 1800s. The tobacco barn/prizery is significant in that there is no other prizery known Virginia that has the original wood tobacco press. There are also the remnants of a stone wall that was and still is the original boundary line established in the 1770s. The Elk Hill farm is located in the boundaries of the South Rockfish Valley Rural Historic District. Writ of mandamus appears necessary to determine the 1704 process. Of utmost importance is the history of the Rockfish River on the farm. The Hurricane Camille flood in 1969 destroyed the river and its pastures and killed 2 people who lived in the house near the bridge on Route 151 when the flood smashed the house against the bridge. The river was rebuilt by the Army Corps of Engineers after the storm. Multiple times since we bought the farm in 1977, storms have created flooding that made the river change course, or flow through the pastures with such force that it took the fences down. What looks like a shallow meandering stream can turn violent quickly and do great damage to the river, its river bed, and the surrounding pastures. In 2001 the Virginia Department of Transportation rebuilt a 2 mile stretch of the South Fork of Rockfish River as a mediation project for mistakes made by VDOT in Amherst. A great amount of study and research was done before the project began, but still the force of the river did great damage and today VDOT is back at Elk Hill correcting problems that were created by the well thought out design of Once the conservation easements on the Elk Hill Farm were in place, we established walking trails all over the Elk Hill property and opened the trails to the public. In September 2006, the trails were dedicated and recognized by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Today our trails

8 are managed by RVF and are some of the most popular trails in Nelson County with about 50 people using the trails daily throughout the year. The trails on the Elk Hill Farm are visible from the deck and tasting room of Bold Rock Cider, our neighbor to the northeast. The proposed route of the pipeline on our property would run directly across this spectacular view which draws thousands of people weekly to their cidery. Their business at this site depends on the draw of their visitors to sit with a glass of cider and enjoy this view. 5. Streams, Waterways, and Wetlands in the South Rockfish Valley RVF celebrates its 10th anniversary in Friends of the Rockfish Watershed was created in It was an outgrowth of a community water study grant led by Karen Firehock, a UVA professor and founder of Green Infrastructure, Inc. RVF was an outgrowth of Friends of the Rockfish Watershed. From that time forward stream studies and environmental studies have taken place. Spruce Creek, Reid s Creek, and the S. Rockfish River are all adopted streams with the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation and carry rights and obligations. A natural resource study was done later by UVA students with Green Infrastructure and is available upon by request. It shows resources that now will be compromised by pipe line planning. There are currently stream studies underway with DEQ and volunteers which are also available. There are plans for stream and wetland mitigation projects in the direct route of the pipeline on existing wetlands. Mitigation banking projects of DEQ and US Army Corps of Engineers are involved. Recently DEQ has determined it will require specific plans for water crossings. What does this mean to FERC? Additionally flood plan ordinances in Nelson County may require permits which may not be issued. That will cause delay and most likely rerouting. At the Route 151 bridge crossing, there are no less than 5 waterway and flood plane crossings. The entire area is an ecologically important tributary of the James River watershed. 6. Problems of ACP as relates to the South Rockfish Valley: The crossing of the bridge over Spruce Creek is on Route 151 which is the major north south route of Nelson County. Greg Park of Dominion states the bridge will not be damaged. We think it will be a direct hit. We invited Greg Park to come see when we talked to him in Bath County and he accepted. To date, we have not heard from him about co- coordinating that meeting. We are concerned that Dominion has precluded him from coming which happened before when Dominion visited onsite at RVF at our invitation. Greg has selected these routes with no site visit but feels he should visit. We are also concerned about the weight of the equipment and trucks crossing over the bridge. No weight limit studies have been done but all Dominion loads will greatly exceed the capacity for loads across both the Spruce Creek bridge and the S. Rockfish River bridge. FERC should require analysis of this immediately. The BLAST ZONE of the pipeline puts the Rockfish Valley residents at risk. Will it also raise our insurance rates because of this risk? Will business cut their

9 losses and leave. Will rental properties go vacant or fill with greatly reduced rates. This is an economic disaster in the making. 7. Geologic risks have been identified as being present on the ACP proposed Horizontal Directionally Drilled Crossing (HDD) of Blue Ridge Parkway, Segment AP-1, Mile Post 158 to 159. The Dominion Transmission letter of May 13, 2016, submitted supplemental information to FERC regarding the proposed Horizontal Directionally Drilled Crossing (HDD) of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway at Reid s Gap in Virginia. Appendix D: By Appendix D, Dominion submitted an Updated Initial Geotechnical Site Investigation Report prepared by GEOSYNTEC Consultants, Richmond, VA, Project MV , dated May, The Report included a Geophysical Study prepared by ATS International, Inc. (ATS). ATS was retained by GEOSNYTEC Consultants to conduct the Geophysical Study for a proposed Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) project beneath the crest of the Blue Ridge at Reid s Gap near Wintergreen, Virginia. The GEOSYNTEC Report provided the findings of the Geotechnical Site Investigation and Geophysical Study of the entry and exit points of the proposed HDD pipeline installation through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Reid s Gap. All work was reported as having been done in early 2016 by professional Geologists. The GEOSYNTEC and ATS reports both identified the existence of two or three thrust faults which the pipeline would cross on the proposed HDD route. In the eastern study area a mapped thrust fault between the Catoctin and Pedlar Formations was reported. In the western study area a thrust fault in the Catoctin Formation was reported. Figure 4 of the GEOSYNTEC Report presents a generalized geologic cross-section showing main geologic formations and the two thrust faults lying beneath the Blue Ridge Parkway along the proposed HDD alignment. The ATS Report, Executive Summary and Section 2 discuss the thrust faults identified and study techniques utilized to determine field conditions. Section 2 further states that three extensive northeast-trending thrust faults are mapped within close proximity to the study. Two of these intersect the proposed HDD alignment, near the HDD entry and exit locations (see ATS Figure 3). The two studies report conditions found at the ACP sites tested and do not report any conclusions about the suitability of the proposed HDD pipeline route. Questions: The Geophysical Study of the ACP proposed HDD route under the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway at Reid s Gap specifically identify the existence of two or more thrust faults which the pipeline will cross. The existence of geological faults set forth a risk to the construction and operation of the pipeline which must be addressed and independently assessed by FERC per FEMA Regulations.

10 FEMA Report, Series #67: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FEMA-233/July 1992 Earthquake Resistant Construction of Gas and Liquid Fuel Pipeline Systems Serving, or Regulated by, the Federal Government. states in part: Chapter I. Gas pipelines and LNG facilities are subject to FERC review. Seismic provisions fall under the environmental protection requirements of 18 CFR. With respect to gas pipelines, FERC reviews proposed designs for potential earthquake hazards where pipelines cross streams, rivers, or geological faults. For buried pipelines, inertial forces are of little concern, but faulting, landslides, and liquefaction pose major problems (Hall, 1987). Is FERC doing the following: Having independent, qualified, professional geologists and engineers reviewed the thrust faults identified and assessed the risks to construction and operation of the ACP through known fault lines? If not, when will this be done and by whom? If so, what are the results of such review? What are the immediate and future risks of large diameter (over 42 dia.), lengthy (over 4,000 ft.) HDD through known thrust faults? What specific engineering design and operational constraints exist? What evidence is there that such large scale HDD construction has been successful in other similar fault prone bed rock formations? Note that the Friends of Wintergreen have previously made FERC aware of exiting safety concerns and risks of constructing the ACP at this location. The recent discovery of existing thrust faults would seem to compound these safety concerns. Does the discovery of known thrust faults mandate the study of an alternative ACP route that does not cross thrust faults? If not, why not? Has the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) been consulted about the thrust faults and potential impact on the ACP proposed route and risk to USFS lands and National Forests? If so, what are the USFS s comments? What additional action will FERC take? Additional matters as to slope and geology: Has FERC or dominion looked into the issues caused by Hurricane Camille in the Rockfish Valley? Has FERC or Dominion looked at the resources at the Nelson County Historical Society. Is FERC or dominion aware of the house slippage litigations at Wintergreen Resort? All this was impacted by the geology. It underscores the sensitivity of the east slope of the Blue Ridge and the obvious conclusion that no pipeline should be constructed operated or maintained there. In closing, I would like to quote FERC in the Docket Nos. CP & CP dated December 4, 2015 in which FERC asked Dominion to evaluate a route variation that minimizes impacts on cultural and historic properties, nature trails, waterbodies. This was an obvious reference the incredible resources of the South Rockfish Valley in Nelson County. I hope that I have shown how the impact of the

11 proposed natural gas pipeline would destroy the Rockfish Valley Foundation s properties and the Elk Hill properties. I hope FERC will recognize how important this area is and how hard we have tried to celebrate and preserve this area. I urge you to deny Dominion all routes through the South Rockfish Valley. I also urge you to require Dominion to find another route outside this valley and outside Nelson County, if indeed the ACP is necessary at all. Sincerely, Peter A. Agelasto III HISTORIC RESOURCES IMPACTED BY PIPELINE IN SOUTH ROCKFISH VALLEY OF NELSON COUNTY NELLYSFORD, VIRGINIA 7ebccb2c THE MAP The Rockfish River watershed is strongly impacted. South Fork Rockfish River,,Reids Creek, Spruce Creek; floodplanes, etc. South RockfishValley Rural Historic District public meeting May 12; VA DHR vote June Work started in 2009 Spruce Creek Park the only public park in Nelson Rockfish Valley Foundation Rockfish Valley Foundation Natural History Center affiliate of VA Museum of Natural History Tourism Info Center for Rockfish Valley and Nelson Old Wintergreen Village site archaeology site of significance recognized as Virginia Treasure by Commonwealth of Virginia and as an endangered site by Preservation Virginia in 2016; subject of manuscript by Elizabeth Richardson Coleman Mills site - two mills dating to 1790s, ponds, raceways, traces and structures built by African American slaves. Operated by Hawes Coleman for decades; upper known also as Goodwin Mill; lower known also as Harris Mill recognized as Virginia Treasure in Contributing use to Old Wintergreen Store.

12 Butterfly trail recognized as Virginia Treasure in 2015 is part of statewide annual count; goes thru old wintergreen village Wintergreen Country Store national registered historic landmark; formerly Harris General Store, first Wintergreen Sales office; voting precinct, post office, ABC on off; dry goods, foods, farm supplies community hub. Historic registered properties and their viewsheds: ELK HILL, Wintergreen Country Store, River Bluff, Glenthorne, High View. View shed of Glenthorne; 106 non registered but historic being studies with Nelson and VA DHR grants to research properties. Conservations easements Glenthorne and ELK HILL (VOF) 175 acre farm/250 years Rockfish Valley Foundation Kite Festival Grounds - 9h annual will be in ELK HILL Baptist Church historic/african American Nelson Scenic Loop begins at Natural history center. Camille hallowed ground in Bold Rock field and Rockfish river trail head-lives lost Spruce Creek Children s nature Trail; trails throughout the valley with DGIF Geology trails, birding trails, public wifi hot spot Small private airport and surrounding subdivisions Spruce Creek, Reid s Creek, S Rockfish all adopted streams with DCR Unique birding trails A DGIF registered trail; top 10 in state system Natural animal habitat crossways Natural resources, geology: of Rockfish Valley fault Hurricane Camille historic site and site of massive debris flow and lives lost Bold Rock and Spruce Creek Spa development

13